Page:MyPrayerBookHappinessInGoodness.djvu/77

 "Even in  the  common  things  of  life?  and  in  the natural  order,  how  striking  are  the  results  of  the  passage of  this  Heaven-sent  missioner,  this  angel  of  light  and consolation.

"If we  reflect  upon  it,  kindness  is  but  the  outcome and  exemplar  of  the  divine  precept:  Thou  shall  love thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  There  is  nothing  we  personally so  much  appreciate  as  kindness.  We  like  others  to think  of  us  kindly,  to  speak  to  us  kindly,  and  to  render us  kindly  actions  and  in  a  kindly  manner.  Now,  we should  know  how  to  put  ourselves  in  the  place  of  others, and  thus  we  should  testify  to  them  that  kindliness  that we  value  so  much  ourselves.

"When our  divine  Lord  came  down  upon  earth,  He came  not  only  to  save  us  by  shedding  His  blood  for  us, but  to  teach  us  by  His  example  how  to  co-operate  with Him  in  extending  the  Kingdom  of  His  Father.  And one  of  the  most  powerful  means  which  He  employed for  this  purpose  was  kindness,  gentleness,  and  forbearance. 'The  goodness  and  kindness  of  God  our  Saviour appeared '  (Titus  iii.  4),  by  which  words  we  learn  that kindness  is  not  altogether  synonymous  with  goodness, but,  as  it  were,  a  luster,  a  bloom,  an  attraction  superadded to  it.

"We might  regard  this  sweet  reflection  from  the  Heart of  Jesus  from  many  points  of  view,  but  it  is  especially under  one  aspect  that  we  have  been  considering  it; namely,  as  a  powerful  weapon  in  our  hands  for  the efficacious  exercise  of  our  apostolate.  Kindly  thoughts of  others  will  be  productive  of  prayer  in  their  regard,  at once  fervent  and  affectionate  —  prayer  such  as  the loving  Heart  of  Jesus  willingly  listens  to;  kindly  words and  deeds  will  draw  souls  to  the  love  of  Him  whose spirit  they  behold  so  attractively  reproduced  in  His